This invention relates to an apparatus for collecting debris including grass cuttings, vegetation, fallen leaves and other rubbish frequently encountered on gardens, public highways and parklands.
In our prior European Patent Application No. 0501675A1, which is incorporated herein in its entirety, there is described and claimed a collection device comprising a chassis, means for supporting the device above ground datum,, a source for establishing a flow of air, a duct directly or indirectly supported on the chassis for conveying loose material entrained in a stream of air from said source towards a downstream region thereof from a collection mouth at an upstream and thereof, a removable collection container for collecting said loose material and disposed in proximity to the downstream region of the duct, at least one air outlet disposed adjacent the collection mouth, each aperture serving to direct at least a portion of the stream of air downstream of the collection mouth so as to draw loose material into the mouth and transport the same via the duct into the collection container.
In our prior Patent Application No. 9224582.8, which is incorporated herein in its entirety, there is described and claimed an apparatus for collecting material from a surface comprising a duct for transporting material entrained in a stream of pressurized air from a collection mouth at an upstream end of the duct to a downstream region of the duct for collection; and
at least one air inlet opening into the duct for delivering pressurized air to form a primary air stream directed generally downstream of the duct;
a source for generating the pressurized air and passing the air to the said at least one air inlet, characterized in that the duct includes an access port disposed downstream from the collection mouth and in that the apparatus includes a source for imparting energy to the stream of pressurized air in the duct via the access port thereby increasing the suction in the duct.
Reference is also drawn to European Patent Application No. 91301472.6 (claiming priority for U.K. Patent Application No. 90044076.7) which is imported in its entirety into this specification.
In our prior European Patent Application No. 93304750.8 which is incorporated in its entirety into this specification, there is described and claimed an apparatus for collecting material from a surface comprising a duct for transporting material entrained in a stream of pressurized primary air from a collection mouth at an upstream end of the duct to a downstream region of the duct for collection,
at least one primary air inlet opening into the duct for delivering pressurized air to form a primary air stream directed generally downstream of the duct,
at least one secondary air outlet for delivering pressurized air to form a secondary air stream directed into an area of the surface confronting the collection mouth, the secondary air stream serving to dislodge material on the said confronting area for entrainment in the primary air stream and transportation from the collection mouth to the downstream region of the duct for collection.
Although machines described in the various applications mentioned fulfil their respective operational requirements adequately, we have found that the amount of material collected is restricted by not only the size of the receptacle but also by the nature of the collected material necessitating frequent emptying of the receptacle. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to improve the collection capacity of such machines.